Lock-protecting device.



. PATENTBD JULY 23 1907.

O. E. LEIGHTO'N. I LOCK PROTECTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION nun JULY-13. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS 1n: NORRIS FEYERS cm, wAsl-nuarun, n. c.

PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

G. E. LEIGHTO N. LOOK PROTECTING DEVICE.

APPLIOA'TIOH 211.31) mum. nos.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

a INVENTOR Maw ATTORNEYS vlAslunaran, b. L.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. LEIGHTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO LEIGHTON LOOK PROTECTOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LOCK-PROTECTING DEVICE.,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1907.

Application filed July 13, 1906. Serial No. 326,075.

To all whom it may concern:

g Be it known that I, CHARLES E. LEIGHTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Lock-Protecting Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in lock protecting devices, and is particularly intended for use in connection with permutation locks such as those commonly used on the doors of safes or vaults; the purpose of my invention being to prevent persons who do not have the combination of the lock from opening the lock and obtaining access to the permutation mechanism thereof, while the door of the safe or vault is open, and so to prevent such persons from learning the combination of the lock by ekamination thereof, or from becoming familiar with its construction, and to prevent tampering with the lock such as may lead to derangement thereof.

My improved lock protecting device does not interfere with access to the lock mechanism by persons having the correct combination.

My invention consists in the novel construction of lock protecting devices; in the novel means employed for preventing accidental locking out; and in other features of invention as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain forms of lock protecting devices embodying my said invention are illustrated.

In the said drawings: Figure 1 shows a rear view of a permutation safe lock of ordinary construction, portions of the back of the lock being broken away to show the bayonet joints by which the back plate is held in place, and to show my improved lock protecting device. Fig.2 shows a top view of the said lock,

a portion of the casing being sectioned to show themechanism. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail perspective views of the locking pawl constituting the lock protecting device of the lock shown in Figs. land 2. Figs. 5 and G are detail views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 respectively, and illustrate an alternative construction of lock protecting device. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 respectively, showing an alternative form of locking device. Figs. 9-12 inclusive are views showing a further alternative form of locking device arranged to engage the inner face of the back plate itself; Fig. 9 being the rear view of a portion of the lock with a portion of it broken away; Fig. 10 being a top view with a portion of the lock case broken away; Fig. 11 being a view of a portion of the inner face of the back plate and Fig. 12 being a detail view of the locking pawl. Figs. 13 and 14 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 respectively, showing a further alternative form of locking device, and Fig. 15 is a detail view of the pin of Figs. 13 and 14.

Referring first to Figs. 14 inclusive, 1 indicates a permutation lock of ordinary construction, 2 the knob thereof, 3 the dial, 4 the main bolt and 5, 5 tumblers arranged to be rotated by rotation of the knob. I do not illustrate the construction of this lock in detail, as said lock may be of any suitable or ordinary construction. 6 designates a removable back plate customary in such locks. Said back plate in the particular construction shown, is provided with an inwardly projecting flange 7 fitting within the cylindrical flange 8 of the lock casing, said flange 8 provided with pins 9 adapted to engage bayonet slots 10 of flange 7. This construction as so far described, is well known.

My improved lock protecting device comprises a pawl 11 mounted upon a pivot pin 12, and having a head 13 adapted to enter the notches 14 of the several tumblers, when said notches 14 are all lined up opposite said head 13. Said pawl is further provided with a rearwardly projecting portion 15 having at its end a claw adapted to engage a notch 16 in the flange 7 of back plate 6. I

17 designates a false tumbler mounted on the main lock spindle 18 and arranged to be rotated by the knob 2. The head 13 of pawl 11 rides on the edge of this false tumbler 17 as well as upon the edges of the tumblers 5; and the portion 19 of said head 13, which rides upon said false tumbler 17 is beveled, as shown, for a purpose hereinafter described.

The operation of my improved lock protecting device is as follows: Normally the claw 15 of pawl 11 engages the notch 16 of back plate 6; and since said back plate is held in place by bayonet catches, and since pawl 11 prevents rotation of the back plate as required to remove the back plate, said back plate is held in place firmly.

In ordinary operation of the permutation lock, it will not happen that the notches 14 of all of the tumblers 5,

and the corresponding notch of the false tumbler 17,

will be lined up beneath the head 13 of the pawl 11, and

thus the removal of the back plate 6 is prevented. The index ring 20 surrounding the dial 3 is, however, provided with a special mark 21, and when the permutation mechanism of the lock is operated according to the correct combination of that lock, read with reference to this special mark 21, the notches 14 of all of the tumblers 5 and of the false tumbler 17 are lined up underneath the head 13 of pawl 11. Said head then drops into said the bayonet catches, and then removed. Upon re-.

placing the back plate and turning the knob 2 in the ordinary manner, the sides of the notch in the false tumbler are caused to engage the beveled sides of the portion 19, so as to raise head 13 out of the notches 14, thus preventing removal of the back plate as before.

It is often important that the lock protecting device shall not be in action, so that the back plate of the lock may be removed at will. This is desirable, for one reason, for the convenience of the safe lock trade, who will constantly handle the lock, and who desires to be iree to inspect the lock mechanism at any time without the trouble of unlocking same through the combination; also after changing the combination of a lock, the lock should be tested with the new combination before closing the'door to which the lock is applied, to guard against a possible mistake in reading the new combination; and since the same combination must be used to release the lock protecting device, once the lock case has been closed and said lock protecting device put into operation, said lock protecting device must not go into operation until after thecombination' has been tested; otherwise if a mistake has been made in reading the combination, it will be impossible to gain access to the interior of the lock to correct the mistake without breaking the lock. To this end I provide for the complete and easy removal of the entire locking member 11. Said member, as shown, is formed in one piece and fits loosely on the pivot pin 12, being held thereon when the back plate 6 is in place, by said back plate itself. The flange 8 of the lock casing is provided with a recess 22 of such width as to permit the passage of the pawl 11. To prevent locking of the back plate therefore, the pawl 11 is simply removed from the lock altogether. Thus the safe lock trade will ordinarily apply the pawl 11 only after the lock has been sold and the permutation mechanism set to a particular combination and tested. When the combination of a lock is to be changed, said member 11 will customarily be removed before the lock is tested after changing the combination; and if the combination be found to have been noted correctly, then the back plate will be again re-' moved, by simply rotating it to release the'bayonet catches, the pawl 11 inserted and the back plate put in place again.

It is not necessary that the opening 22 in the flange 8 shall be the full width of the pawl 11, as shown in Fig. 1. In Figs. 5 and 6 I show a construction wherein said slot 22 has a width only a little greater than the length of the backward extension 15 of pawl 11. In such case toremove pawl 11 after the back plate 6 with the tumblers 5 thereon has been removed, said pawl is pulled outward far enough so that the backward extension 15 thereof may be moved up past the edge oi: flange 8 and until the main portion of said pawl is clear of said flange 8; after which the pawl may be pulled out altogether.

It will be observed that it is not required that the pivot 12 have great strength; for in case attempt be made to force the back plate off, by applying to it a wrench to turn it, very slight flexure of the pivot 12 will bring the pawl 11 or its extension claw 15 against one side or the other of the slot 22, thus making the full strength of the back plate and casing of the lock available to resist iurther' turning of the back plate. In some locks, it is not desirable to have a pivot 12 extending clear across the interior of the lock casing, as in Figs. 2 and 6; some locks, for example, having moving parts which would conflict with such a pivot.

' In such cases I may employ a construction such as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, wherein the pivot, here numbered 12*, is carried by a portion of flange 8 projecting I into slot 22; In such case, the pawl, here numbered 11, may be removed when it is not desired to lock the I back plate, either by removing the pivot 12 (which as shown is a screw); or, preferably, by pulling out the pawl until it will drop down off pivot 12, said pawl and the slot in the lock case being so formed relatively as to permit this.

Figs. 9l2 inclusive indicate an alternative con struction, wherein the locking member engages the inner face of the back plate 6, instead of engaging a notch in an inwardly projecting flange of said back plate; as in Figs. l-8 inclusive. In this construction, the back plate has on its inner face an L-shaped slot 23, and the locking pawl, here numbered 11, has a pin 15 projecting through a slot 2 1 in the lock case and normally located at the top of said slot 23, the

back plate being then locked; but when the notches in the tumblers and false tumbler are all lined up properly underneath the head of said pawl, the latter drops, the pin 15 dropping to the bottom of slot 23, thus permitting the back plate to be turned to release the bayonet catches holding it in place. In the construction shown, these bayonet catches comprise headed pins 25 carried by the back plate, arranged to be inserted through openings 26 in the lock case; the heads of said pins then engaging the lock case, upon slight rotation of the back plate, so preventing re moval thereof until said plate be rotated backward; and such backward rotation is prevented, normally, by the pill 15 engaging the sides of the slot 23 in the back of the lock. To prevent locking of the back plate of this construction, when desired, the pin l5 may be removed (in the construction shown itis a screw); or, preferably, the head of the pawl 11 is removable, comprising a section 27 normally locked to the main portion of the pawl, as shown, but adapted to be removed laterally. 1n the construction shown in Fig. 12, said removable section 27 is provided with a notch 28 adapted to be engaged by the finger or a suitable tool to facilitate withdrawal of section 27. When said section 27 is withdrawn, pawl 11 drops until pin 15 is at the bottom position, no matter what may be the position of the lock tumblers.

In the construction shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the back plate 6 is provided with a flange 7, as in Figs. 1-6 inclusive, and the locking pawl, here numbered 11, is provided with a projection l5 normally within a slot 16 of said flange 7, being held there by thetumblers 5, and so preventing rotation of the back plate 6, which is held by the customary bayonet catch. But when the tumblers allow pawl 11 to drop, projection 15 drops through the flange 7 altogether, permitting the back plate to be rotated to free the bayonet catch.

As shown in Fig. 15, in this construction the part 15 is removable from pawl 11, being a split spring pin fitting into a cell of the pawl. By removing said pin, locking of the back plate may be avoided when so desired.

What I claim is 1. A permutation lock comprising premutation mechanism, a casing inclosing the same and having a removable member, and having also a recess in a wall of the casing adapted to receive a locking member, and a locking member for said removable casing member, movably mounted within said recess, adapted to engage said removable casing member to hold same in place, and controlled by said permutation mechanism.

2. A permutation lock comprising permutation mechanism, a casing inclosing the same and having a removable member, and having also a recess in a wall of the casing adapted to receive a locking member, and a locking member fitting within said recess and pivotally supported and normally engaging said removable casing member to prevent removal thereof, and controlled by said permutation mechanism.

3. A permutation lock comprising permutation mechanism, a casing inclosing the same and having a removable member, and having also a recess .in a Wall of the casing adapted to receive a locking member, and a locking member fitting within said recess and suitably supported and guided, adapted to engage said removable casing member to hold same in place, controlled by said permutation mechanism, and comprising means removable upon removal of said removable casing member, to prevent locking of the latter.

4. A permutation lock comprising permutation mechan ism, a casing inclosing the same and having a removable member, and a locking device for said removable member comprising a member movably mounted, normally engaging said removable casing member to prevent removal thereof, controlled by said permutation mechanism, and bodily removable from said lock to prevent locking of said removable casing member, but normally held in place by said removable casing member.

5. A permutation lock comprising permutation mechanism, a casing inclosing the same and having a removable member, and a locking device for said removable member comprising a member pivotally mounted, normally engaging said removable casing member to prevent removal thereof, controlled by said permutation mechanism, and bodily removable from said lock to prevent locking of said removable casing member, but normally held in place by said removable casing member.

G. A permutation lock comprising permutation mechanism, a casing inclosing the same and having a removable member, said member having a flange fitting into an opening in the main portion of said casing, and a locking device for said removable member located within the casing outside of said flange, normally engaging said removable casing member to prevent removal thereof, controlled by said permutation mechanism, and bodily removable from said lock to prevent locking of said removable casing member, the main portion of said casing having an opening, normally closed by said removable casing member, through which said locking device may be removed.

7. A permutation lock comprising permutation mechanism, a casing inclosing the same having a removable member, said removable member and the main portion of the casing having concentric flanges, the flange of the casing having a recess therein, and a locking pawl pivotally mounted and having a main portion on one side of its pivot engaging said permutation mechanism and controlled thereby and having an extension on the opposite side of its pivot located in said recess and normally engaging said removable member, said pawl comprising means removable from said casing to prevent locking of said removable casing member.

8. A permutation lock comprising permutation mechanism, a casing inclosing the same having a removable memher, said removable member and the main portion of the casing having concentric flanges, and a locking pawl pivotally mounted, engaging said permutation mechanism and controlled thereby, and having an extension located in a recess in the casing flange and normally engaging said removable member, said pawl bodily removable from the casing to prevent locking of said removable casing member.

9. A permutation lock comprising permutation mechanism, a casing inclosing the same having a removable member, and a locking pawl pivotally mounted, and having a main portion on one side of the pivot engaging said permutation mechanism and controlled thereby, and an extension on the opposite side of the pivot normally engaging said removable casing member to prevent removal thereof.

10. A permutation lock comprising permutation mechanism, a casing inclosing the same having a removable member provided with a flange projecting into said casing, and a locking pawl pivotally mounted within the casing, engaging said permutation mechanism and controlled thereby, and having an extension normally engaging said removable casing member to prevent removal thereof, and located outside said flange, the main portion of the cas ing having an opening registering with and larger than said extension but smaller than the entire pawl, and normally closed by said removable casing member, said pawl removable through said opening and through the main opening closed by said removable casing member.

11. A permutation lock comprising permutation mechanism, a casing inclosing the same having a removable member, and a locking pawl pivotally mounted, engaging said permutation mechanism and also said removable casing member and normally holding the latter in place, said pawl having an extension projecting radially from the pivotal point and the casing having a corresponding recess receiving said projection snugly, whereby in case stress be applied to said removable casing member to remove it forcibly while locked. stress on the pivotal joint will be transferred through said extension to the wall of the lock casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

CHAS. E. LEIGHTON. 

